Slight Misstep
by Terakali
Summary: Bill isn't nearly as unobservant as he seemed and notices the crucial difference- a missing finger. Fortunately, Ford isn't alone on this one. This fic was inspired by the neat intro-mix linked here. If you have time, do check it out. /watch?v W0hAYciWWag
1. Calling in a Favor

"WAIT!"

Bill glances downward, his hand still held as if to snap the children away at a moments notice.

"I surrender!"

Internally, Bill smiles, dropping Dipper and Mable to the floor. **"Good choice."**

"Don't do it, Ford!" Stanley cries out, taking hold of his brother's shoulders. "It'll destroy the universe!"

"It's the only way!" Ford says, batting his arm aside and turning back to the dream demon.

 **"Hahaha. Even when you're about to die, you pines twins just can't get along,"** Bill muses, opening the cage they were held within. Before the triangular walls finish sinking into the Fearamid, spectral arms coil around and ensnare Stanley.

Bill looks down at Ford, his question understood without words.

"My only condition is that you let me brother and the kids go."

 **"Fine,"** Bill returns, raising up a hand in a silent pledge.

Off to the side, Dipper shouts in warning, but Ford ignores him. Taking a deep breath, he steps forward.

 **"It's a deal."**

Ford reaches out his hand towards the demon's outstretched palm.

Only for Bill's hand to retreat.

 **"Please, do you think I was born the last millennia? Of course I saw through the swap."**

All eyes go wide as more arms bind _Stanley_ to the ground.

 **"Now then, where was I? Ah, yes- Ford?"**

The rest of the question needn't be put into words. The hardened gaze from the eldritch horror said all that was required.

"I understand," the real Stanford said with a sigh. "I didn't want it to come to this."

 **"Of course not, wise guy,"** Bill remarks, floating towards him. **"But I did."**

Stanford lowers his head, bowing towards Bill.

Unbeknownst to Bill however, one of his six fingers was pointed towards his wrist.

No watch laid there now, but all eyes were on him. Stanley got the message.

 **"Oh, it's a little late to beg for mercy. This is all you have left,"** Bill says, holding out a four fingered hand coated in pale blue flames. **"Make the deal."**

Bill perks up at a noise off to his left... From Stanley.

A beam shot forth from the device- aimed straight for his eye. **_WHY IS IT ALWAYS THE EYE!?_**

Except... It never hit. About halfway to him, it fizzled out.

 **"Ahahahaha!"** Bill chortles, turning to face Stanley directly. **"Truly, you don't understand who runs this place. I am God now."**

"That wasn't for you!" Stanford shouts, taking Bill's attention. "No, I was just calling in a favor."

Bill laughs at that, his eyelids forming a crooked smile. **"And who could you possibly ask to help against ME!?"** To emphasize his point, ghostfire plumes up in all directions. **"I control space, matter, and time."**

"True," a new voice greets from behind him. "But I'm a scientist."

Each of the pieces that form Bill flip around, leaving him facing... An old man in a labcoat?

 **"And who are you, then?"**

"I'm Rick."


	2. Invent, Create, Transform, and Destroy

**"Rick, huh?"** Bill says, circling around the new entrant. **"Stanford seems quite confident in you, but I just see an old man. Are you going to prove me wrong?"**

Rick rolls his eyes, sparing a glance around the room before settling his gaze on Ford. Despite the costume swap, it was hard to mistake his six fingered hands. "You let a dream demon into your reality?"

Ford moves, as if to speak, but is halted when the arms wrapped around him tighten their grip.

"Fine," Rick says, turning back to the one-eyed god watching him with a mixture of curiosity and annoyance. "We'll settle this later. For now..."

He locks eyes with Bill, his expression unreadable, as he gets into a fighting stance.

 **"Why does everyone try and fight me? I'm practically invulnerable,"** Bill states, his entire body warping to take on the appearance of a foreign metal alloy.

"Oh, no worries," Rick says, smiling. "I was just getting my hand that little bit closer to my coat."

As he says that, he slips his hand inside, pressing a single, solitary button.

In that instant, all hell breaks lose.

Er, again.

Holographic clones, Meeseeks, and a wide variety of differently colored portals sprung up all across the room, completely flooding everyone's view.

"Come and get me," a thousand voices taunt at once from all directions.

Bill's eye twitches slightly at the mayhem before him. He was being challenged by a mortal who hid behind holograms.

 **"DON'T %* & WITH ME!" **Bill shouts, his body growing in size as it turns a deep crimson. **"I'll crush you ALL!"**

He sticks to his word, flailing his arms around- easily tearing through the Meeseeks and phasing through the holograms.

Bill's eye flicks about, watching with a singleminded intent as he tracks the innumerable clones.

It was at this time that the portals started to act, letting lose a torrent of weaponry, each gun more bulky and terrifying than the last.

The dream demon watches each of the portals through his periphery, watching for the real Rick moving to grab something, as he sprouts additional arms with which to rip through the ranks of the far-more numerous Meeseeks.

Off to the edge of his vision, a Rick heaves a gun of some sort onto his shoulder.

Bill smiles, watching as it fires upon him.

 **"Stop,"** he orders, causing the world around him to turn gray. Even the beam, which was likely light speed, stood still without the passage of time.

As a laugh escapes him, the demonic triangle shrinks back down to a more reasonable size. Bill casually floats across the battlefield whilst humming a chipper tune to himself.

 **"Thank you for making this easy on me,"** Bill says, stopping directly in front of Rick.

"No problem."

Bill's eye widens in shock, but he doesn't manage to respond before a fist comes crashing into it.

 **"GAH!"** he cries out, whirling away with his hands placed over his now closed eye. **"It's always the eye with you people!"**

Rick smirks at that, letting go of the now floating Unmaker. "Whatever works," he remarks, breaking out into a sprint across towards Bill.

 **"No! No, no, no! NO!"** Bill shouts, backing away from him. **"How is this possible!? I stopped time!"**

And, what's more, Bill's attempts to snap him away weren't working.

"Because," Rick starts, stepping towards him menacingly. "Everything you do, everything you are, is natural. But me?"

He chuckles, staring down on the cornered demon.

"I'm _The_ Rick."

Bill looks around in a panic, desperately trying to think of something- anything- he could do.

Calmly, Rick reaches one hand into his pocket, withdrawing a small circular device with a spike on one end. "I feel like showing you what a scientist really does."


	3. Weird

As Rick reappears in the main chamber, a final echo follows from the frozen time.

 **"L-T-O-L-O-X-A!"**

The occupants of the Fearamid don't get much time to look into it, however, as the whole structure starts shaking.

"Quickly!" Ford shouts, slipping out of the now inanimate arms that held him. "We have to get out of here!"

Rick holds up a hand, shooting a portal onto the ground. "Everyone in!"

Dipper, Mable, and Stanley clamber towards the portal, leaping in as the Fearamid audible breaks apart and falls just outside the room.

"Where does it go?" Ford asks, standing beside Rick just outside it.

"Huh?" Rick says, sparing a glance towards him. "You don't trust me?"

He only gets a deadpan as a response.

"Hehe, alright, I guess you've earned that," Rick concedes, placing an arm around Ford's shoulder. "I was on Nebulous 4 when you called for me- I had to leave Morty behind."

There's a pause.

"Care to meet your grandnephew?"

Ford smiles, shaking his head slightly. "Onwards and forward."

And off they go.


End file.
